Contrast
by iamgoku
Summary: It's been five years since Max moved to Seattle, leaving behind her best friend. And Five years since the accident that changed her life and her body forever. Now at 18, she's returned to Arcadia Bay and attending Blackwell Academy as the school's new resident outcast. But being a pariah is nothing new to Max, she's been one for years. (Alternate Powers Max AU)


**Hi everyone, and welcome to '**_**Contrast**_**' This is going to be an interesting take on LIS, with Max wielding different abilities than in canon.**

**This is technically a DC comics crossover/fandom blending (I probably should add it to the crossover section, but we'll see how things go) Don't worry, there's not any lore driven plot devices yet, and I'll basically be explaining things as the story goes on. So I urge you to stick around and see how it plays out.**

* * *

The morning class was filled with the chattering of students as they awaited for Ms Grant to arrive for their Science lesson, their teacher having been unusually late this morning. After ten minutes however the door to the classroom opened and she arrived, several papers in hand as she took a few steps before coming to a halt, looking back out into the hall before turning back to her class, who had by now settled down and was taking their seats.

"Good morning everyone" she began slowly. "Now before we start, I'd like to let you all know that we have a new student joining us today. Her name is Max, and she's come all the way from Ohio to attend Blackwell Academy"

Her expression shifted to a more stern look before she continued. "Now you will no doubt find her appearance to be rather different, and that is ok. But I will not be tolerating any bullying or rude remarks about her in my classroom, she is here to learn just as you all are, and I hope you will be able to act mature and considerate of her special circumstance"

The students were now all abuzz with curiosity at Ms Grants words and one in particular, Victoria Chase, was about to question her about their supposed new classmate when the older woman spoke up once more, this time in a softer kinder tone.

"Come on in, Max" she said looking out the door into the hall, immediately all heads turned in that direction and for several seconds nothing happened, until a figure slowly came into their line of sight.

Silence filled the room as the atmosphere instantly shifted at the reveal of their new classmate.

She was a brunette, and around five and a half feet in height, wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, black converse, and a pink shirt under a grey hoodie.

That was all they could tell about her appearance however, as her entire face was covered underneath white bandages, as were her hands, the only exception being her hair that came out the top and framed her face. A pair of black goggles were covering where her eyes should be, completely masking her appearance.

Whispers began to spread around the room as they all took in the new girl, her appearance not being anything like they'd imagined in the brief moments between Ms Grant's talk and her arrival.

"Uh...Hi" her soft voice spoke up from beneath the bandages.

Ms Grant placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned to the class. "Why don't you take a seat and we can begin"

Max nodded slightly before moving towards the back of the room, one desk that was seemingly empty save for one student, a girl her age with light brown hair tied up into a bun like hairstyle was seated there, she was starring at her too, though not in the same way all the others were, she could feel the eyes on her even as she passed, the whispers and hushed tones not failing to reach her ears as she did.

As Max took a seat, she took off her messenger bag and looked through it, removing a notebook before she caught site of the only other girl at the desk.

The girl looked at her with glancing eyes, and several times looked as if she wanted to say something, but Max wasn't sure if it was shyness or if she was simply making her uncomfortable.

As Ms Grant was about to start the lesson, a sudden voice called out, breaking through the relative silence that had taken hold.

"What's wrong with your face!?"

Instantly Max's head lowered slightly, as all students shifted their looks between her and the boy who had just spoken up.

"Nathan!" Ms Grant began with a warning tone before Max spoke up.

"No No...it's ok" she said slowly before looking up at the class, or at least they assumed she was, it was impossible to know if she had her eyes open under those pitch black goggles.

"I had an accident, a few years ago. And ever since then, Well I..I.." she began before slowly gesturing to her face. "Let's just say I don't look all that great under these"

The room was once again filled with silence before Ms Grant spoke up once more, trying to get the lesson back on track.

"Well if everyone's curiosity is sated" she said with a harsh undertone. "We can get back to going over these hypothesis, and I don't want any more questions for Max, focus on your work, and let her focus on hers"

Max fell silent once again as she began to write down notes in her notebook, before hearing the girl at her desk speak up, her voice was soft and quiet.

"I'm Kate" she said as she moved a hand over towards Max.

It took the brunette a moment to realize she was offering it to shake.

Hesitantly she reached across, before their hands met and she gave a light shake.

"It's nice to meet you Max"

"...You too" the brunette replied slowly.

* * *

Hours had passed since her classes had ended, and Max had spent all that time in her dorm room, having secluded herself away after her last class had ended in order to start sorting through her things.

She'd had some of her stuff sent ahead before she arrived at Blackwell, and the rest brought with her today, and had begun to sort through it all. Though as the hours passed, she decided it was the right time to shower herself, having specifically waited for this time of night. Grabbing her toiletry bag and shower caddy as well as a towel which she threw across her shoulder, Max opened her door slowly, peering out to make sure no one else was in the hall, before she made her way to the bathroom, which was conveniently right around the left hand corner near her room.

Max entered the bathroom, making sure she closed the door behind her before walking ahead and checking that she was alone. It was late, most of the students were probably asleep, but she still checked to make sure.

Once she did, she walked back over to the door and took a rectangular metal object from her coat pocket, it looked like thick latch lock for homes. Placing it half on the door and half on the wall, she flicked a small dial on it, and immediately a red light lit up in the center of the dial. She removed her hand and the latch was now secured to the door and wall without her needing to hold it there.

It also meant she wouldn't be disturbed by anyone.

Walking back over to one of the sinks, she placed her toiletry bag and towel in the one to her left before turning back to the mirror in front of her as she took off her jacket and set it aside on the sink. Reaching up, she took out the pins that held the wig in place before placing it atop her jacket.

Without the wig she looked like a female version of the invisible man.

Or like _him._

It had been almost seven months, but it still felt like yesterday since he was gone.

Part of her felt guilty, for being here and away from the others, felt guilty about trying to move forward and try at least partially to reintegrate into society. It almost felt like she was betraying him, and demeaning everything he'd done for her.

Everything _they_ had done for her. She owed them so much, but he was the first one she had opened up to, and through him she had opened up to the others.

But even as she thought these things, at the same time, a part of her knew he'd be proud and happy for her, that he would want her to happy as well.

Letting out a breath, Max reached up removed her goggles and began to slowly unwind the bandages from her head, placing the sections down in the sink as she continued until all of her head was uncovered.

Her face...well her head as a whole, was covered in long since healed burned flesh, a mass of purple and red skin that lacked traditional features. She had once likened her head, in a not so rare moment of self deprecation and loathing, to a big raisin.

She had no hair at all on the top of her head, only more scarred purple red flesh with some markings, large and small digging into her flesh. Her ears looked less like ears and more akin to protruding ovals of flesh coming out the side of her head. Her lack of hair also extended to her having no eyebrows or even eyelashes.

Max didn't really have lips either, that was to say the flesh no longer resembled lips, rather just more skin that separated whenever she opened her mouth, once sealed it almost looked like she didn't have them at all.

The only feature that stood out and shone through the mass of scarred flesh, were her blue eyes.

Starring back at her own reflection was something she now found a dual sensation of normal and abnormal.

It was abnormal in sight, her deformed and scarred flesh that went far beyond just her face but all across her entire body. But at the same time, it had in a sense become her normal.

When she first had her accident, she shied away from mirrors and her own reflection, the mere sight of it enough to cause her to break down and go into hysterics, not to mention the side effects of being highly radioactive made it so people couldn't touch her.

Couldn't comfort her physically when she needed it.

At least she no longer had to deal with that aspect however, as she had since become safe to be around by normal people without the threat of killing them all from exposure.

She began taking off the rest of her clothes, setting them in a neat pile on the sink as she removed the rest of the bandages, placing them with the others before grabbing her shower caddy and entering the shower stall furthest to the left.

Turning the water on first to heat up, she didn't step under the spray straight away, instead taking out her assorted bottles, they were different soap's and body wash, she obviously didn't need to bother with shampoo and conditioner.

_'At least that's a money saver'_ she thought dryly, though this wasn't the first time she'd made that internal remark as she moved back over and under the now warmed water, for several minutes she just stood there, letting it pour down over her as she recounted the events of the day in her head.

It wasn't a good first day of school by any means, but it wasn't the worst, at least of the scenarios she'd ran in her head.

_'I wasn't attacked by some crazy super villain...so that's a plus, I guess' _she thought to herself as she poured a generous amount of body wash into her hand before beginning to rub it into her chest and arms, allowing the water to quickly help create a foamy lather as the scent of milk and honey wafted up to her nose.

_'I guess all I'll have to worry about here is normal everyday school girl problems...or as normal as someone like me can be'_

If you'd asked Max six years ago if her current situation, and that of her past few years, would be normal, twelve year old Max would have called you crazy. But ever since her accident, the term normal at least by society's standards, had been effectively thrown out the window for Max Caulfield, and replaced with the strange and unusual, which over time became her version of normal.

Some people would call it fantastical and astonishing, like something out of a comic book.

But this wasn't a comic book, it was real life.

And even though her life had been upturned in such a way, even through the emotional roller coaster that had been the past five years of her life, Max had found a place where she could be herself without fear and insecurity, where she wasn't threatened by the outside world and their judgement and disgust, of their harsh words and cruel actions.

She had found a family.

And here she was now, without them, all the other way across the country.

Leaning forward against the cold tile, she let the water pour down her back as she let out a sigh.

This was what she wanted, she kept telling herself that.

All she needed was time to adjust. She had been placed in the dorm room when her application had gone through, and at first the others had tried to get her to agree to staying in an apartment outside of school grounds. Max hadn't been sure about it, but had agreed that she would give the dorm room two weeks, three tops, before making a decision.

If she chose to stay outside school grounds, there was already an apartment lined up for her.

Reaching over to turn off the water, Max proceeded to pack away her toiletries before starting to dry herself off. She put her clothing back on, making sure to pull the hood of her jacket up, it was late, but she wasn't going to take the chance of being caught, especially if one the girls by chance peaked out of their door.

But due to the time, she knew it was dark out in the hall, which would help as she walked to the door and flipped the latch back, the red light in the center turned off as she removed the latch from the door and placed it back in her pocket.

Starring at the door for a moment longer, she let out a breath before exiting the bathroom.

She walked out into the hall hastily, luckily for her though her room was the first and only room at the end of the hall on the right hand side, which meant all she had to do was turn right from the bathroom and walk a few steps and she was there.

Opening the door to her dorm she walked in and quickly closed it softly and locking it.

Undressing from her clothes once more, Max was quick to put on her pajamas. A long sleeved white shirt with yellow ducks strewn across it, and a pair of long grey pajama pants. She then made sure to set her alarm to wake her up early enough that she could get ready for the day with time to spare.

There were still things that needed to be sorted out in her room, but she could do that tomorrow, taking one last glance at her alarm clock before lying down on her bed, not cold enough to slip under the covers as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kate Marsh opened her dorm room door and walked out sleepily into the hall, rubbing her eyes as she did. She'd awoken to find it still dark out and nearing 2 AM, but needing to use to bathroom, she'd reluctantly gotten out of bed and made her way out of her room.

As she walked to the bathroom, she couldn't help but spot the door to the newly filled dorm, Max's room. They'd only had one class together today, as Mr Jefferson was absent and she had managed to find out she and Max were both in that class together.

The other girl was definitely an anomaly in every sense of the word. Her appearance definitely caused every head in the room to turn in her direction, and not in a good way. She had been a little nervous at first when speaking to her, but that had dissolved a little as they had spoken.

They didn't have an abundance of conversation, but Kate chalked that up to both of them being nervous around one another, as well as Max's probable first day anxiety. Coupled all together with her appearance of course.

Kate wasn't sure what kind of accident the poor girl had been in, but if required her to wear bandages all over her body, even if it had been years ago, it had to be something terrible, horrific even, to warrant such measures in order to hide the effects from the world.

She wanted to help Max, even if she wasn't sure what she could do, and even though she'd only met the girl today, she wanted to help her in any way she could. She knew being the new kid was tough, and due to her own personality and views many people at the school made fun of her and put her down. But she knew Max was on a whole other level and would surely be targeted by some.

Kate knew that Max would obviously receive sympathy from certain students, but also knew that to others the brunette would get ostracized and gawked at like some kind of side show attraction.

And for the crueler types, she was a sitting duck for social ridicule, bullying and abuse, no matter how undeserving she would be of it.

Finishing her business in the bathroom, Kate exited and began to make her way back to her room, sparring another glance at Max's door at the end of the hall, she thought she saw a small light shine through the bottom of the door, Kate thought Max may have been watching TV with headphones, or on her laptop.

She didn't want to disturb her, so she made her way silently back to her room.

* * *

Inside Max's dorm she lay still upon her bed as she slept her body peaceful as she breathed softly.

However her room suddenly lit up as a bluish light emerged from her chest, Max still sleeping as it did. The light then began to take shape as it shifted away from her body, becoming a more humanoid looking thing. It's form consisted of bluish light and electrical like energy that seemed to flow and shift around like a human shaped plasma globe, taking a somewhat feminine form with a lightly accentuated chest, and glowing blue eyes, but otherwise having no defining features.

The being moved around the room in a circular motion, floating up off the ground and into the air before floating over Max for several seconds, as if taking in the sight of her.

It than turned and flew out towards the window, passing through it without breaking the glass and flying up above the grounds into the night.

* * *

**This is actually one of several LIS/Max Caulfield AU ideas I've had knocking around in my head, but the first I have published. (I have another MCU related AU Where Max is the cousin of Darcy Lewis and is gifted Thor's power after wielding Mjolnir. And another where she's Doctor Strange's niece...but those are other stories)**

**I will be updating my female Doctor Strange story before I update this one, so if you're interested I'd go and check that one out. And as always, reviews are appreciated.**


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